In late March 2021, the murders of 6 Asian American women in Atlanta brought new attention to a disturbing and hateful trend of growing violence against members of the Asian American community, a legacy of the anti-Asian sentiment built and nurtured by white supremacist culture in America. As philanthropy – and many other groups and sectors within the US – came together to decry the hatred, many Asian American and Pacific Islander (AA/PI) individuals within the sector were left to grapple with the impact of a moment that resonated both personally and professionally.

Below, four Asian American members of the philanthropic community – Claudia Leung, Jonny Moy, Jennifer Nguyen, and Cristiana Baik  – share their perspectives on the violence, immediate philanthropic response, and hopes for the sector’s commitment to AA/PI communities long-term.

This is part two of two reflections from these four leaders within our membership.

A grounding in philanthropy with a social justice lens

In order to use philanthropy to effect change, it is crucial that new practitioners in the sector understand its context, history, and challenges. Philanthropology™, first developed by EPIP in 2012 and revised for 2021, responds to this need with a curriculum that includes both academic and practitioner perspectives in an in-depth critical study of philanthropy and social justice created for and informed by the next generation of inclusive grantmakers. 

The Philanthropology™ curriculum will include 9 hours of synchronous virtual content and supplemental activities that cover the landscape and history of the sector, intersectionality, movement building, grantmaking with an equity lens, and strategies for putting this knowledge into practice as the field continues to evolve.

The curriculum also offers 3 hours of asynchronous activities and ample readings to further your knowledge. The course runs once a week, every other week, for three sessions (spanning 6 weeks total), leaving plenty of time for the asynchronous work and to test out new ideas. 

The curriculum will be delivered by trained facilitators from within the EPIP community, providing an opportunity for EPIP members and alumni to share their knowledge and step forward as leaders. Have questions? Check out our frequently asked questions or email EPIP's Director of Programs Elyse Gordon at [email protected] Want to participate? Sign up below to be notified about new Philanthropology sessions.

Webinar Recap - "Dissonance & Disconnects" Report Briefing

Originally aired on September 27, 2018

Written by EPIP Chicago Steering Committee Members, 

Claire Kaufman

Cristina Guerrero